The winter thaw is on the horizon, and with that comes a whole host of creepy, crawly, and voraciously hungry bugs. Although we may all be looking forward to balmier weather, the mosquitoes that come with spring and summer are definitely not welcome! Not only are they annoying you, but they could pose a serious and deadly risk to your pets.

With their bite, mosquitoes can transmit a roundworm called heartworm that can cause shortness of breath, lethargy, collapse, exercise intolerance and even death in dogs and cats. Heartworm is found in all 50 states and year round – including Maine! So we thought it a prudent time to have a heart to heart about this health concern for our pets.

What Causes Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is caused by an infection with the Lyme bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi). The bacteria lives in infected deer ticks, and it is transmitted to the unfortunate host by the bite of the infected tick. Transmission of the bacteria from the tick to the host may only take several hours of attachment. Continue…

Heartworm disease is preventable with careful monitoring and administration of monthly medication. Heartworm disease can cause life threatening heart issues in dogs, and severe lung problems in cats. Heartworm disease is transmitted to dogs and cats by the bite of an infected mosquito. Although you can’t avoid mosquitoes, you can effectively kill the parasites. Continue…